Lot 236

Sioux Quilled & Beaded Tobacco Pipe Bag 19th C.

Estimate: $3,500 - $5,500

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
This is an outstanding scarcely seen pattern of full-size 19th Century quilled and beaded tobacco pipe bag from the Sioux Native American Indians of the Northern Plains. This mid-to-late-1800’s bag is constructed of Indian tanned hide which is artfully adorned with sinew sewn petit 1800’s glass trade seed beads in a geometric pattern in colors of chalk white, greasy yellow, red-white hearts, cobalt, semi-transparent green, semi-transparent. The bag is further adorned with long frilly Indian tanned hide fringe ties which are completely wrapped in porcupine quillwork which shows natural ocher dyes of red, yellow, and purple which shows rolled tin dangle jingle cones with plume feathers having a slight green ocher coloring. The bag has a unique and scarcely seen pipe tobacco bag with bladder bag like shape having Indian tanned hide fringes along both sides, across the top portion horizontally and up from the bottom of the bag, which comes to a point, vertically. For other similar examples, Early LARGE Beaded Hide Drawstring Pouch Pipe Bag sold by Heritage Auction in 2016 for $8,000; Sioux Quilled and Beaded Tobacco Bag 19th Century sold by Cowan’s Auction 2018, and Santee Sioux Tobacco Bag c. 1900 sold by Allard Auction in 2012. The base shows four Indian tanned hide fringes which are wrapped into one piece with 1800’s glass trade seed beadwork in a linear geometric pattern holding two rolled tin dangle jingle cones both with plum feathers having a red ocher dye. The bag itself also shows a snake or hourglass pattern at the top and base with the base having brass trade disks with faceted glass Czechoslovakian bugle like beads tied on with cotton thread. The bottom beaded fringe is held onto the bag with a single strand of sinew along with glue and is slightly stiffening and brittle (possibly will come unattached in shipping). The bag itself is well preserved overall with a mostly supple condition with slight stiffening, slight bead loss in some areas and fringes that are slightly stiffening. The bag surface shows signs of red mineral pigment ocher. The quilled fringes are held onto the bag with hide ties and further held into place with preservation modern thread. The inside of the bag is signed with black paint “FE” likely an early collection museum marking. Provenance: From a fine American Indian collection from New Mexico. The piece was collected in the 1980-1990’s from an Arizona Trading Post with many items being collected from Ken Canfield (1941-2006) a renowned Santa Fe, New Mexico dealer who established Canfield Gallery in the 1980’s. The bag measures overall 25”L by 9”W not including the top quillwork fringes which are approx. 13”L.